The Fallout
by Solitaire42
Summary: Spoilers for 3.24 Snow Day. Danny and Adam are in the hospital overnight, when all they want is to go home and forget the day ever happened. Sequel to The Aftermath. Twoshot Brotherfic


**The Fallout**  
by Solitaire42

**A/N:** This is a sequel to my story _The Aftermath_, and it would probably help you if you read that one first. This one is mainly from Danny's point of view, and takes place 45 minutes to an hour after that one ended.

**Disclaimer:** I don't know anyone or own anything related to CSI:NY.

Thank you for reading- and please review!

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Danny watched the steady rise and fall of his friend's back, and knew that he was probably asleep. A good thing, because Adam had had a long and traumatising day.

"Adam?" he whispered. "Are you awake?" There was no answer but the continued (and oddly reassuring) breathing. Danny shifted slowly and carefully until he was out from under the younger man and, after setting his upper body on the bed, gently swung his legs onto it as well. He pulled the blanket up from the foot of the bed and tucked it around the timid lab tech, letting his good hand fall to ruffle his hair. Danny sincerely hoped it was a dreamless sleep.

A quick glance around the room made him lift the remainder of the 12-pack out of his nightstand, where it really hadn't fit too well, and walk it to the bathroom, where he stashed it in the shower. He wasn't going to be hanging around long enough to resort to hospital showers, anyway. He just needed to remind Flack to grab some sort of camoflage, so that the nurses wouldn't _know_ he'd had it in the first place. The beer, not the shower.

He padded back over to the bed and studied Adam for a moment- in the same place he'd left him, in one piece, seemingly tranquil. Danny knew better; beneath the calm surface of this particular lake lay a thousand eddies and mysterious undertows, waiting to drag you down. He sighed and patted Adam's shoulder before walking out the door to the hallway.

The whole hospital was rife with beeps and buzzes and machines that he'd normally give about anything to get his hands on for four hours. He walked past a really fascinating culture lab, and even past the waiting lounge (snack machines were always a huge draw for him), and ended up at the nurses station.

The woman in front of him glanced up, smiling genially. "Yes?"

"Hi," he started, his voice scratchy from under use. He coughed quietly and continued. "I'm room 214? Messer?"

She looked down at the chart in front of her. "Oh, yes, Mr. Messer. Is something the matter?"

"No, ma'am, not really," he started, scratching his head and leaning in subtly. "I was wondering if there was any way we could bend the rules a little."

The nurse raised her eyebrow. "That really depends on what rule, Mr. Messer."

"Well," he explained, trying to go quickly but not run his words together. "I was brought in with my friend? 207? Ross?"

She glanced at her chart again and nodded. "Yes? Is something wrong with him?"

"Well, nothin' new really. Nothing that's not on your chart," he gestured for clarification. "But, he.." he couldn't think of the words for a second and rubbed his temples. "He's just a kid," he attempted once he looked back up.

The woman looked down again. "It says here he's 25."

"Yeah, well," Danny nodded. "He is. But he's just a kid. Like a little brother to me, I swear."

"Alright.." she nodded, wondering where on earth this could be going. "I can't give you his medication, sir," she stated, shaking her head.

"No!" Danny balked. "No, God no. He's just.. he's feeling a little insecure right now. A lot insecure, really."

"And?" she prompted when he stopped and didn't go on.

"And I was hopin' that maybe you could change a little bit of information on your chart, there."

Her eyebrow went back up. "Like what?" she asked, dubious.

"Like," he tilted his head from side to side like he was only just thinking about it, "207 to 214."

A look of genuine surprise crossed her face. "You want him...to take your room?"

Danny nodded. "Um.. sorta. I'll still be there. On the couch. I'd actually prefer to sleep on the couch, anyway, so.." He coughed into his hand, unsure of how else to nip that tangent in the bud. "And I know visiting hours are over, but since I'm a patient, right? Listen," he sighed, "I can almost guaruntee nightmares for him tonight. And it'll just be alot easier on him if someone he knows is there, with him, when he wakes up from one."

The nurse pursed her lips. "So, you want to relocate Mr. Ross from 207 to 214?"

"Yes, please."

She stayed that way for a moment more, and then her face broke into a smile. "That's very sweet of you, Mr. Messer, looking out for your friend." Danny felt a blush rise on his cheeks; he had no idea how to respond. The nurse marked something down on her chart and smiled at him again. "Are you sure you want to sleep on the couch? It says here you've got three cracked ribs, a broken hand, a bruised collar bone-"

He cut her off. "I've had worse before, trust me. And, honestly, I would have been sleeping on the couch anyway. I hate hospital beds."

She gave him one last nod. "Would you like to tell your friend he can move or shall I," she asked, still smiling.

"Uh.." he hesitated. "Can you keep a secret?"

"As long as it's legal," she quipped back.

He wetted his lips. "He's kindof already asleep. In my room, I mean."

Her back straightened almost imperceptably. "So, really, you were just _telling_ me that he had moved this whole time?"

"Uh..yeah. Sorry."

She sighed, but lightly. She didn't seem mad at all. "You're lucky you're cute, Mr. Messer," she stated and turned to the aide that needed a consult, waving him off with one hand. His blush came back ten fold and he walked once more down the hall.

He slipped back into his room, shutting the door with a soft _click!_ behind him. He turned around to face a rather awake and hurt-looking Adam Ross.

"You're back," he observed, his voice almost completely devoid of emotion.

"I am." Danny knew he was walking on eggshells as he edged toward the bed. "You okay? I mean, did you have a nightmare?"

Adam shook his head. "I just woke up, really. I don't want to sleep." His dead tone and blank eyes chilled Danny almost as bad as when he'd arrived at the scene earlier today and couldn't find the younger CSI. He reached out to touch Adam's shoulder but Adam pulled away without changing his expression.

"Adam-"

"No, it's fine, whatever." He slid out of the bed and moved toward the door. "I'll see you later, alright?"

"Hey!" Danny moved in front of him. "Where are you goin'?"

"Back to my room," Adam replied, not moving to go around him at all. Just standing there, waiting for him to get out of the way.

"Adam, you're staying here tonight."

"I can't." Adam's eyes were focused on his left shoulder instead of his face. "I'll get in trouble if they go to my room and find out I'm not there." He stopped, and the room was silent as Danny's mind whirled, trying to figure out what he'd done. "Could you move? Please?" Adam asked after about a minute.

Danny frowned. "Hey, what's the problem?" The young man's eyes flickered up to his face and back down quickly. He didn't answer. Danny lifted his good hand and gripped Adam's upper arm. "Adam, talk to me." Adam tried to shift away but Danny held fast.

"Just let me go!" Adam gasped, and Danny's blood ran cold at the distinct note of terror in his voice. He let go of his friend so quickly his hand was a blur.

"Adam," Danny soothed, keeping his voice low and steady, like he was talking to a scared animal. "Adam, buddy," he started, "what- what happened since I left?"

"You _left!_" Adam blurted loudly, tears shining in his eyes. In a split second he'd gone from being emotionless to almost frantic. "You _left_ while I was asleep! You _left_, and I woke up and you_ weren't here_. And I thought it had only been a dream, and that you were-" he breathed out harshly instead of the sob that was bursting to get free. "That you hadn't made it. An- and I've read those stories about people d- dying and talking to the people they'd known while they were alive in dreams." The tears spilled over and dragged themselves down his cheeks. "And you were dead and. And." His breathing was ragged, like he'd run a marathon, and his left hand balled into a fist at his side, digging his nails into his palm. "_It was because of me_," he agonized. "It was all. My. Fault." His arms shook with the effort of keeping his sobs in check. "And I knew- I-" He fell into silence, unable to get any more words out.

Danny stood two feet away, his own breathing erratic from the other man's speech. Adam sank to his knees and fisted his hands in his hair, gasping audibly for oxygen, trying unsuccessfully to steady himself.

Danny swallowed twice, the lump in his throat becoming severely uncomfortable, and knelt in front of Adam. "Adam," he choked. He reached out tentatively, thinking better of it and pulling back; he didn't want to freak Adam out like he had before. But the lab tech looked so vulnerable and miserable that he couldn't just do nothing. He slowly extended his arm to touch Adam's cheek. "Adam, look at me." The younger man's red-rimmed eyes contrasted sharply with his pale face, and Danny's heart ached at the horrible things this kid had seen already in his life. He stared Adam in the eye and said, "Listen, Adam, I already told you. You know, you _know_, that nothing bad that happened today- none of it was your fault." Danny moved his bandaged hand up to cradle the other side of Adam's face as he tried to move away. "You hear me? Nothing was your fault." Adam started to sob, and Danny knew how hard it was to believe so simple a phrase when your whole life you'd been told otherwise.

Adam pulled away from Danny, but Danny was quicker and slightly less distressed, and was able to wrap him in a hug before he could really move. Adam didn't fight and just sobbed violently into the older man's chest for the second time that night.

"I-" Adam tried to speak. "I h-have to g- get back to my r-room. I h-have to go. Ple- please. Please."

Danny rubbed his back consolingly. "You don't hafta go anywhere, Adam. I talked to this nurse," he explained. "This is your room till tomorrow. You're good, man. You're good." The CSI managed to pull Adam into a standing position without letting go of him, and maneuvered him to the bed. "Shh, shh," he tried to calm his friend. "Everything's alright now, everyone's safe. You're safe." He untangled Adam's uninjured hand from the front of his shirt and lowered him onto the blanket as his sobs became gentler. His eyes were nearly closed already, the stress of the entire day culminating in the last five minutes and effectively shutting him down.

"Pl-please," Adam whispered, his sobs finally reduced to hiccups. "Don't leave."

Danny shook his head and ran a reassuring hand over his hair. "I won't," he promised, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to Adam's forehead. "I'll be here when you wake up."


End file.
